150 Word Review: 'In The Name Of The Father' (1993)
Like son
Director Jim Sheridan’s true-life drama about two men accused of a crime they didn’t commit is emotional TNT. In The Name Of The Father blends political drama with a prison movie, and ends with something unique: an original courtroom scene. This is one of Daniel Day-Lewis’ finest performances as Gerry Conlan, a young Irish loser who gets blamed for an IRA bombing in London. When we first meet Day-Lewis’ character, he’s an immature brat, and then he suffers for the next 15 years, and finds an inner strength he didn’t know he had.
But this isn’t just Day-Lewis’ show: Pete Postlethwaite plays his quiet father who is also imprisoned along with his son. The man loves his son, and their relationship is painful and beautiful to watch. Emma Thompson plays the British lawyer who knows the Conlons and three others are the victims of crooked cops looking for a scapegoat.
Oooh. I gotta see this. Thanks.